Refrigerator car construction



June 18, Q E CREDE HEFRIGERATOR CAR CONSTRUCTION Filled Oct. 21

[riz/@nior- CbarlsE. Creare `Patented June 18, 1940 UNITED i STATES l REFRIGERATOR CAR coNs'raUorroN `1 l p `Charles E. Crede, Chicago, Ill., Vassignor; by

I mesne assignments, to StandardRailway Refrigerator Company, a corporation vof Delaware Applicationctober 21, 1939, Serial No. 300,531

" `7` claims. (o1. ca -17) This invention relatesto refrigerator cars used tOtransport perishable commodities at a predetermined temperature.` The essential features of u such alcar are an insulated structure and a re frigerating means for use in warm weather `or a heating means foruse in cold weather. I The invention relates particularly to refrigerator cars of the overhead bunker type. Cars of this type have the refrigerant `containers sus- 10 pended immediately below the roof.` They are often .provided `with drip pans below `the con-` tainerslto form refrigerant `compartments below the roof and adjacent the side walls offthe car. y. `It isalso `common to provide vertical iiues asso- 5 oiatedwiththe side walls and extending to near `theffloori I These `iues serve as passages for the flow of refrigerated air from the refrigerant comu partment to below the floor racks ofthe car4 so that itlmay circulate upwardly through the lad` ing. The fluesalso serve to drain off `meltedre-1 frigerant when a foraminous or semi-foraminous container lis used or condensation from the container when liquid retaining tanks are used.

Eachsidewall of arefrigerator car is provided with a door through which lading is transported' into' the car.` "These doors must be large enough to'allow` passage of a trucktherethrough and are usually about four feet wide. `Therefrigeraton of the car is dependent upon cold `air circulating downwardly through the abovementioned `flues which are associated with the side walls of the cari` I I I The refrigeratingeiciencyisincreased by have `ing the melted refrigerant circulate with the air 3.5 to further cool the air during passage through they side wall iiues andto further insulatethe walls ofthe car. u d

To interrupt a ue for a distance of four feet would obviously lessen the refrigerating efliciency,

40 particularly since the interruption would be at the doorway where more refrigeration is desirl able to overcome the effect of insulation deficiencies atthe door joints; I

The `problem of maintaining adequaterefrigeration adjacent the doorway has been solved by providing flues or ducts on the doors. When the d doors are closed, the ducts are aligned with the "sidewallflues to form a continuous passage for the airand liquid from the refrigerant compart` ment to the lower part of the car. In other words,

d the operationis as if `the doors were non-existent.

When the doors are opened,` however, the passage becomes discontinuous and the liquid which Wasflowing thrcughthe duct in the door `:falls `throughthe doorway* The lading whichis hauled through the doorway is often of a type which may be damaged by Water. Furthermore, the clothing completely precooled. `Precooling melts refriger` ant at a rapid "rate with a` consequent large amount of liquid flowing through the nues. n

The object of this invention is to` provide a means to preventothe dripping of liquid upon lading and workers which are passing through the doorwayl during loading or unloading of the car. fIt is a further "object to prevent the aforesaid dripping without `impairing in any way the normal flow oflair andliquid `through the door duct when the door is closed. The operation of` the device which I claim as my inventionwill be completely described by referring to the drawing.'

I In the drawing:` l

Fig: 1 is attransverse `sectionthrough the doorway of a refrigerator car embodying my invention. The-door is inthe closed position.`4

IFig. 2'is a fragmentary View similar to a lpor-` tion of Fig. k1 position;` .I f

Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical longitudinal sections throughthe nue as indicated by lines `3 3 and 4-4in Figs. 1 and 2, respectively. I y Fig. 5 is a" view similar to Fig. 4 showing a modified construction.

Figs. 6 and 7 are enlarged views' similar to a` portion of Fig. `1 showing modied constructions. The general parts of therefrigerator car shown `areinsulated roof 2; sidewall 3; floor LI;V refriger-` ant container 6; sidewall flue 1; foraminous iloorrack 8 and space 9 between rack"8 and iioor `Il. A refrigerantcontainer 6 is positioned `directly below the roof 2 'and adjacent the side wall 3; A drip pan fl2 is provided `belowsthe oontainer`6` and apartition `III secured in an upstanding positionat the edge offthe drip pan The drippan VI2 and partition I4` cooperate I2. with the roof 2`and side wall 3 to form an enclosing structure II around the container 6, an air` inlet opening I5 being `provided by spacing the `partition I4 fromthe roof 2., `An air dischargeopeningl'l `which leads to `the flue'l is formed by spacing the driplpan I2 fromthe wallbut showingl the .door in `an open way,` and means associated with said door to divert said liquid to said duct when the door is` closed, said trough being inclined `to drain liquid to the flue besidey said doorway.

6. In a refrigerator oar having an insulated ciated therewith a duct which alignsv with said fiue whenthe door is closed to forni a continuous passage, a trough arranged to catch liquid flowing downwardly through the flue t above said doorway, and means associated with said door to divert said liquid to said duct when the door is closed. l

7. In a refrigerator car having an insulatedwall,` refrigerating means adjacent said wal1,`a flue associated with said wall and arranged to transmit air and liquid from said means to the` `lower part of the car, `a doorway through said wall and said flue and `a door adapted to close the doorway in said Wall, said door having associated therewith a duct which aligns with said l flue when the door is closed to form a continuous passage, a trough in said doorway below said iiue, and means associated with said door to divert said liquid to said duct when the door is closed.v l

CHARLES E. CREDEL 

